Search Allegheny County Court Dockets
Allegheny County Pennsylvania court docket records are among the most searched in the state. Pittsburgh is the county seat, and the 5th Judicial District handles one of the largest caseloads in Pennsylvania. The Department of Court Records serves as the central repository for court filings. Docket sheets for criminal, civil, family, and orphans' court cases are available online through the state UJS portal and through county-level resources. Most records are free to view and do not require a login or registration to access.
Allegheny County Quick Facts
Allegheny County Court Docket Search Steps
Searching Allegheny County Pennsylvania court dockets online takes just a few steps. Start by visiting the Pennsylvania UJS Web Portal or the Allegheny County Department of Court Records website. Once there, select the type of case you need, such as Criminal Division or Court of Common Pleas. Then enter the details you have, which might be a defendant name, a docket number, or a filing year.
After you submit the search, the results will display matching case records. Click on any result to open the full Allegheny County court docket sheet. That sheet shows docket entries, hearing dates, case status, charge listings, and the names of attorneys and judges involved. Each entry on the docket corresponds to a filing or court event in the case history.
If you want physical copies, you submit a formal request to the appropriate division. The Department of Court Records handles the process for getting certified or plain copies of Allegheny County court docket sheets and filed documents.
Accurate spelling improves your results significantly. Partial names often cause incomplete matches, especially in a county as large as Allegheny. Older archived records may not appear online, and a courthouse visit may be needed for very old filings.
Note: Some records sealed by court order will not appear in online searches even if you know the case number.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas
The Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas is the main trial court for the county. It is part of the 5th Judicial District and handles the full range of cases that come before a Pennsylvania trial court. Criminal Division cases cover felonies, misdemeanors, and appeals from the lower magisterial courts. Civil Division cases handle property disputes, contract claims, personal injury actions, and other monetary matters.
The court's reach extends well beyond what many people expect. It also includes a Family Division and two specialized divisions that handle areas where general trial courts sometimes fall short. The size of Allegheny County Pennsylvania means the court processes thousands of new cases every year.
The Allegheny County court system maintains robust online records through the UJS Web Portal, making it easier to locate specific docket information from home. View the UJS portal for Allegheny County court docket searches.
The Allegheny County court docket system provides access to thousands of active and historical case records through the online portal.
Criminal Court Dockets in Allegheny County
Criminal Allegheny County Pennsylvania court dockets begin at the magisterial district level. A preliminary arraignment and preliminary hearing happen in the lower court first. Once a case binds over to the Court of Common Pleas Criminal Division, it receives a new CP docket number and moves into CPCMS.
Each criminal docket sheet in the CPCMS system shows the full case timeline. You can see bail conditions, attorney entries, continuance reasons, plea information, and sentencing outcomes all on a single docket sheet. The UJS Case Search page is the fastest way to pull up any Allegheny County criminal court docket.
For certified criminal history records, the PATCH system is the state's official tool. PATCH is separate from the court docket portal and is run by the Pennsylvania State Police. A fee applies for PATCH requests, unlike the free docket search on the UJS portal.
Note: Expunged records disappear from both online searches and physical court records once a judge grants the order.
Family Division Records in Allegheny County
The Family Division of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas handles divorce cases, child custody matters, child support, and protection from abuse orders. These Allegheny County court dockets are part of the public record in most cases, though portions of active custody or support filings involving minors may have restricted document access.
Custody and support dockets are searchable through the UJS portal just like criminal dockets. A party name or docket number will bring up the case information. Hearing dates, order entries, and case status all appear on the docket sheet. The Family Division also handles juvenile delinquency matters, which are kept confidential under 42 Pa.C.S. § 6308.
Protection from abuse petitions result in docket records that follow the public access rules of the UJS. Final orders are typically public while temporary petitions may have some restrictions depending on the circumstances.
Allegheny County Orphans' Court Dockets
The Orphans' Court Division of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas handles matters involving estates, trusts, guardianships, and adoptions. This division sees a high volume of filings because of Allegheny County Pennsylvania's large population. Estate proceedings here are public record unless a specific sealing order has been entered.
Orphans' court dockets show the case type, filing dates, and status of estate or trust proceedings. Guardianship matters, which protect individuals who cannot manage their own affairs, also produce docket records in this division. Adoption records, however, are sealed by Pennsylvania law and are not available through any public search.
The Department of Court Records in Pittsburgh maintains physical files for all orphans' court proceedings. Requests for copies of filed documents go through this office.
Allegheny County Magisterial District Courts
Allegheny County has dozens of magisterial district courts spread across Pittsburgh and the surrounding municipalities. These courts handle traffic citations, summary offenses, preliminary hearings, and civil claims up to the state limit. Magisterial district court dockets are searchable through the same UJS portal under the MDJS system.
The sheer number of district courts in Allegheny County Pennsylvania reflects the size and density of the region. Each magisterial district judge has a defined territory. When you search a case, the docket will show which district court handled the matter and who the presiding judge is or was.
Traffic cases resolved at the magisterial level usually close quickly and the docket remains on file. If someone appeals the outcome, a new case opens at the Court of Common Pleas and a separate docket is created there. Both levels of docket remain accessible.
Public Access to Allegheny County Court Records
Pennsylvania's Case Records Public Access Policy under 204 Pa. Code § 213.81 governs what information appears in public court records across all Pennsylvania counties, including Allegheny. The policy requires courts to make most docket information available while protecting certain sensitive details like Social Security numbers and financial account data from public view.
Public access terminals are available at the courthouse in Pittsburgh for those who prefer to search records in person. No fee applies for simply viewing a docket on a terminal. The Pennsylvania Courts statistics page tracks annual case volumes for each judicial district, including the 5th.
The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law under 65 P.S. § 67.301 provides a secondary avenue for requesting government records, though for court dockets the UJS public access policy typically governs first.
Nearby Counties
Counties adjacent to Allegheny County Pennsylvania each maintain their own court docket records searchable through the same UJS portal system.